


we’ll (All) meet (In) death

by scaturient



Category: Monsta X (Band), 걸어 | All in - Monsta X (Music Video)
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Video Game World, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Chae Hyungwon & Lee Minhyuk are Best Friends, Dystopian, How Do I Tag, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, Magic-User Jooheon, Maybe - Freeform, Monsta X ensemble - Freeform, Monsta X tags are so hard to write?, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Platonic Relationships, Survival, all in, game elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-03-17 21:02:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18972784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scaturient/pseuds/scaturient
Summary: ~inspired by the All In MV & (elements of) SAO~It began with one game console and it will end with seven.(A dystopian fiction with elements of magic in which time is constantly manipulated and life and virtual reality become blurred)





	we’ll (All) meet (In) death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentions of Abuse here  
> I hope you'll like this! It's probably not going to be too long but,, I really wanted to churn out some MX stuff...

 

**HYUNGWON**

 

 _You're going to love this_ , Minhyuk had said; his fingers were loosely wrapped about Hyungwon's eyelids as they were planted amidst a grove. Once upon a time, Minhyuk stood slightly taller than the younger and he took utmost pride in such fact, though Hyungwon had always teased that he would grow insanely quickly one day and be  _way taller than Minhyukie hyung could ever imagine._ Their giggles would leave them unable to breathe, huddled on the floor from the elder's usual bear hug in response. This time, Hyungwon was almost a foot taller and their day had been bereft of quite some laughter.

 

 

Hyungwon's left cheek had been swollen, throbbing: the inflamed flesh a tender red, and Minhyuk compiled everything within him to pull back the urge that pressed on, demanding that he immediately impose himself on whoever it was that caused such an angry bruise, but the younger had been crying— it was obvious— and he could but ground his teeth, afraid to worsen the situation.

He had lightly run soft fingers underneath his friend's eyes, brushing away the tears in an action that proved redundant as more only seemed to fall at an increased rate. The pain in his chest grew with the inability to take away Hyungwon's hurt and it rose a jagged stone that lodged in his throat.

Then it came to him, like the sun emerging through the clearing grey of clouds; he remembered that the grove their parents' had forbade them from going to four years ago would be coated in thick blankets of snow— a December grace. 

The elder pulled his hands away slowly and gently, watching with eager eyes as Hyungwon's faucet met its exhaust at Minhyuk's gift. It was written on the younger's face that he loved the surprise, until he thought it over and scrunched up his face in uncertainty. "Both our parents said they didn't want us coming here..."

The elder shrugged. "They said it's large and didn't want us to go anymore because we wouldn't find our way back. But with snow we get obvious footprints that we can follow. And— you know," he peered up at his raven-haired friend. "You turn seventeen in a matter of days."

A question hung in the air but neither dared to ask of or acknowledge it. If it snowed more, their footsteps would be covered and it would become increasingly difficult to manoeuvre the way to their homes. But Minhyuk was right about one thing— Hyungwon would soon be turning seventeen and to two adolescent boys, the years old restriction proved to be outdated. They had 'stumbled' across the grove four years ago, in the dead of autumn:

 

—

 

 

Their heads were down, eyes zeroed on the portable game console that reflected the real world but in a virtual reality. On the screen of the console was depicted to them a grove— they were surrounded by trees in traverse, on a path that appeared to stretch on for miles: and when they looked up from the blue LED, the periphery of their visions were a haze of yellowing green and orange. On either side of them spanned towering trees and the floor was sprinkled with dying leaves.

It was Hyungwon who had looked up first and he took his time revelling in the phenomenon. How striking! What was both before his eyes and on the screen seemed to be  _identical._

"This mode really takes us to places that are the same!" He gawked, looking down at the screen and then up once again to gawk some more.

"Where'd you get this from again?" While it pleased the younger, Minhyuk shuffled on his feet. His blonde hair was unkempt and he ruffled it further in his discomfort. "If it was from—"

"It  _was_ from Jooheon," Hyungwon rolled his eyes as he collected fallen leaves with his boot, the console hung lazily from his hand. "He's not bad at all. You've got to stop being mean, hyung. I might ditch you for Heonie."

Minhyuk scoffed, repeating the nickname with a sour expression. It wasn't that the elder disliked Jooheon, rather that he was put off by him. The latter emotion just made him more cautious and there could be nothing particularly negative found in being careful. The kid was some months younger than Hyungwon and had moved to the solitary town just less than a year before; when Minhyuk found his best friend constantly speaking and spouting tales and anecdotes about this "Jooheon" fellow, he concluded that, in fact, this person he had never met before was (most definitely) a Witch— a Sorcerer—  _something_ of the sort.

After what must have been an hour, the two were found by their parents: Hyungwon's father and Minhyuk's mother. They were sat underneath an alder tree, the younger curled into his hyung's side with his head buried into the crane of his neck. Minhyuk's head was carefully perched atop of Hyungwon's as they slept, completely comfortable but entirely vulnerable in the openness of the grove. It would have been a sight for the two adults to coo at and admire, if only they hadn't been terrified for their sons had been long gone. The two awoke with a start as they were collected up by their parents: nothing was said and they parted immediately, only sharing one fleeting glance. It was broken when Minhyuk's gaze fell to the bright red console in Hyungwon's hand and his eyes narrowed as the grove they had found became one with the horizon, perhaps from fatigue or mere perplex. But after that day, the area was no longer to be visited. Both families had made it explicitly clear:

The Grove was off limits.

 

—

 

"I think," Minhyuk began, "you've got to do something about your dad."

They'd only been sat underneath the alder tree for a grand total of five minutes, but Hyungwon's bruise had already morphed into a violent bluish grey. The older avoided staring at it, making his best friend uncomfortable the last of his wishes, but it was leering at him.

"I know."

There was so much more Minhyuk wanted to say— gosh, the Heavens knew there was so much the kid wanted to say: he yearned to curse out that good for nothing father and in doing so, light the barely there ignition within Hyungwon, because his friend didn't seem angry.  _Why_  wasn't he angry? He was in every ounce of his right to be. Maybe it was wrong to expect a bigger sort of reaction, and an enraged Hyungwon just did not seem to exist in this world; instead, the boy sat docilely, gazing into the thicket on the opposite side of where they sat.

Between them filled more silence, though not uncomfortable. It was overt that Hyungwon found solace in the presence of his best friend and Minhyuk thought he should see to it that such need did not go ignored— he made a mental note to offer his home at the end of their day.

"I was with Jooheon yesterday, he lives kind of close to me." A voice barely a whisper. Hyungwon's. "He gave me a box of drinks, I think. He said they're for the game."

The older refrained from rolling his eyes or making a harsh comment. Even after near half a decade, he still had not found the time to open his heart to Hyungwon's friend. "He gave you alcohol to play a game?"

A mop of black hair danced about as Hyungwon shook his head no. "Don't think so, he called them game elixirs and told me to only take it when I play in modes different to the standard game mode."

"That little brick console thing? You mean to tell me it has modes different to the standard?" Minhyuk's snort was cut short when Hyungwon did not show him any sign of positive appraisal.

"I used 'In Life GAME Mode' that day we found this place."

And knowing Minhyuk's stance on how he felt about Jooheon that... that was eerie to them both.

"What do the drinks do?" Minhyuk voiced instead.

"I- Min- the last time Jooheon gave me something was the day before dad beat me because of ma's death. It was the console and he looked at me with sad eyes, told me it has a real fun game on it. Now he's done it again: he gave me the drinks before dad did this-" he gestured to his face with exhaustion. "-and told me it'll make the gaming experience better. I haven't played with the damned console since four years ago."

The blonde breathed shakily. There could only be one single explanation to this all: "He's a Witch."

"A sorcerer... or something." Hyungwon added quietly, and a sense of both nostalgia and dread crept through their blood.


End file.
